Wrench for rotary well-drills.



G; F. LEBUS.

WRENCH FOR ROTARY WELL DRILLS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1913.

Patented 0st. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lllllllllllllllflil mnmmlu llfllllllllllllll 1U H l' H mm WITNESSES 74 ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co G. F. LEBUS. WRENCH FOB, ROTARY WELL DRILLS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. B, 1913.

mms'm Patented 00t.21,1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR fioiaz/T A5505,

A TTOR/VEYS COFUMEIA PLANOORAPH c0. WASHINGTON, D, c.

UNTTFD FTATE PATENT TTFFTQFL GEORGE FRANKLIN LEBUS, OF ELECTRA, TEXAS.

WRENCH FOB ROTARY WELL-DRILLS.

Application filed March 8, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonen FRANKLIN LEBUS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Electra, in the county of Wichita and State of Texas, have invented an Improved "Wrench for Rotary Well-Drills, of which the following is a specification.

In drilling wells-which are often extended to a great depth-it is necessary to raise and lower the boring tool frequently, especially for the purpose of substituting a sharp drill point for a dulled one.

My improved wrench is particularly adapted for unscrewing the coupling which attaches a drill point to a pipe section, and also for detaching pipe sections from each other. The wrench grips the coupling tightly but may be released from it without difliculty, which is a merit not generally possessed by wrenches of this class. The wrench is also adapted for various vertical and horizontal adjustments, which facilitate its attachment to a screw pipe coupling in such manner as to economize time and labor. The wrench is further distinguished by adaptation for convenient detachment of its tooth and slidable lug or jaw when worn and the substitution of a new one therefor.

The details of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts composing my improved wrench are as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the complete wrench. Fig. 2 is a view looking at the back of the wrench, a portion of the operating lever being in section. Fig. 8 is a cross section. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a housing or frame-piece. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the wrench. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the operating lever of the wrench. Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Referring in the first instance to Figs. 1 and 5, the numeral 1 indicates a hook which forms one jaw of the wrench. It is pivoted at 1 in a recessed housing or frame-work 2 shown detached in Fig. 4c and in which the toothed lug or jaw 3 is adapted to slide. The housing 2 has parallel sides or flanges and the hook 1 is pivoted between them at the front outer corner of the housing, while the movable lug or jaw 3 is arranged in the inner part of the housing and in sliding con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 21, 1213.

Serial No. 752,901.

tact with the back of the latter, its toothed end projecting from the front of the housing as shown, so as to coiiperate with the hook 1 when the wrench is applied to a screw coupling.

The lug or jaw 3 is operated by a hand lever 5 having an eccentric head 5 which is pivoted at 6 in the slotted rear end of the housing 2. The lug and eccentric head of the lever are connected by means of a claw or lateral projection 3See Figs. 5 and 6- which projects into and is adapted to slide in a peripheral groove of the cam 5 The lug or jaw 8 is supported in slidable contact with the back of the housing by means of a spiral spring 7 which, as shown in Fig. 5, is supported in a recess in the shank of the hook 1. The housing 2 is reinforced by side bars 2.

A. short lever 8 is pivoted at 9 to the rear end of the shank of hook 1, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and it is pivoted bodily at 10 to the rear inner corner of the housing 2, the pivot 10 passing through a slot 11 in the lever 8-see Figs. 5 and 7. The adjacent inner corners of the hook shank and lever 8 are cut away, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, in order to allow the parts to assume the relative positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l, to which further reference will be made.

In practice, the wrench is applied to a post or stake (not shown) which is fixed in a rotary horizontal table (not shown), such table being arranged concentrically with the well drill and adapted to be rotated by an engine or motor. The wrench is connected with said post or stake detachably and also adjustably by means of a coupling which is formed of two parts 12 and 12". The part 12 which projects laterally from the wrench lever 8 is provided with spring jaws to which a screw bolt 13 is applied as shown. The part 12 is in the nature of a cuff or keeper adapted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to be applied to the lever 8 to which it is secured adjustably by means of a bolt or cotter pin 1 1 that is adapted to pass through any one of a series of holes in the lever. The keeper 12 is provided with lateral flanges and the part 12 with corresponding flanges which are secured together by screw bolts 15.

The wrench is operated as follows: The coupling 12 having been applied to the post or stake of a rotary table before referred to and adjusted to the right height above the table, the pipeor drill rod is raised out of the drilled hole or well by the usual means, until the wrench is opposite the screw coupling or joint that connects two pipe sec tions, which point will be just above the rotary table. The wrench is then swung around until its hook 1 engages the screw coupling or tool joint, and the eccentric lever 5 is operated, that is to say, swung outward from the opposite lever 8 in order to force the slidable jaw or lug 3 into engagement with the joint. The table is then rotated by an engine until the pipe is unscrewed, whereupon th eccentric lever 5 is pushed back toward the lever 8 which retracts the lug or jaw 3 and leaves the pipe coupling or drill joint free, so that the wrench as a whole may be swung away from the pipe. The latter is then again raised from the well until another joint or screw coupling is opposite the wrench, when the latter is again applied and operated as before, until all the pipe sections have been raised out of the well or drill hole.

Since wells are sometimes three thousand feet or more in depth, much time is saved by the use of this wrench, it being particularly adapted to be quickly put on and taken off, the latter operation being effected with out the use of a hammer which is commonly used in connection with various other wrenches of this class.

When the eccentric lever has been pushed out to its limit, if the toothed lug or jaw 3 does not project far enough to strike or engage the coupling or tool joint, as may happen when it is badly worn, the handle or lever 8 and hook 1 assume an angle to each other and to the housing 2, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. This movement is provided for by chamfering the upper front corners of the lever 8, as shown in Fig. 7, and also by providing a slot 11 to receive its pivot 10. In brief, in this operation the joint is broken which permits the toothed lug or jaw 3 to come against the coupling or tool joint in a way which would not be practicable if the parts were rigidly connected, It will be understood that the parts are restored to their original positions, as indicated by full lines in Figs. 1 and 5, by simply drawing back the eccentric lever 5.

When the toothed lug or jaw 3 becomes dull, it can be quickly removed and another substituted, it being only necessary to remove the pivot bolt 6 and to reinsert it when a new lug has been set in place. The ease of detachment of the lug also enables it to be conveniently removed for sharpening, so that it may be used again until it becomes worn so as to be too short.

WVhat I claim is 1. The improved wrench comprising a jaw adapted to engage a drill pipe coupling, a frame or housing in which the hook is pivoted, a jaw which is slidable in the housing and arranged to act oppositely to the hook, an eccentric lever pivoted in the housing and serving to operate the movable jaw, and a second lever also pivoted in the housing and pivotally connected with the shank of the hook, as described.

2. The improved wrench comprising a hooked jaw adapted to engage a drill pipe coupling, a housing in which it is pivoted, a second jaw which is slidable in the housing, a pivoted eccentric lever for operating the movable jaw, a second lever pivoted in the housing, the same being provided with a slot for receiving the pivot, the forward end of said lever being pivotally connected with the shank of the hook, the hook and the second lever being adapted to assume an angle to each other and to the housing and movable jaw, as and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE FRANKLIN LEBUS.

Witnesses P. E. ASHWORTH, A. A. Score.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents... Washington, D. G. 

